introducing heather jones studio quilt patterns

Although we have carried them in the shop for some time now, we haven’t formally introduced you to Heather Jones, creator of the Heather Jones Studio line of modern quilt patterns. We love Heather’s modern, minimalist aesthetic, and we’re happy to be able to carry her four new PDF quilt patterns in the shop. Heather also teaches video workshops with Creativebug. You can meet Heather and see more of her design inspiration in her Creativebug trailer. But, now, here’s Heather to introduce herself and her work.

Hi! My name is Heather Jones and I’m the designer behind Heather Jones Studio quilt patterns. I’m really excited to be sharing some information with you about myself and my designs here on the Oliver + S blog.

I’ve always been crafty, but my first love was fine art, and I studied art history in college. I’ve also always been intrigued by quilts, especially old ones, although I didn’t grow up in a family of quilters. My great-great aunt Ollie was the only person in my family who quilted. In fact, she made me a baby quilt when I was born, completely pieced and tied by hand, when she was in her 80s. I was lucky enough to know her briefly as a child because she lived with my grandparents for a time, and I was always so inspired by her all of handwork. My mom and I own a couple of her quilts, and I still have my baby quilt, and they are among my most treasured belongings.

While I’ve always been drawn to quilts, I was honestly kind of intimidated by the thought of making one for a long time. I made my first quilt while I was in college, and I started many more, but often left them unfinished. Fast forward to 2010, when I started the Cincinnati chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild, after hearing about the Modern Quilting movement that was sweeping across the country. At that time, I certainly didn’t consider myself a quilter, although I had made (and completed!) a few. So when I was elected as the guild’s president, I thought to myself, “I need to make some quilts.” And so I set out to do just that.

I’ve never been interested in duplicating the work of others, so I decided to design and create my own quilt patterns. I also began to participate in some national quilting challenges, and to my astonishment, I won three of them. So, I thought that others might like to make their own versions of my quilts, and I produced my first line of patterns last year.

I am often inspired by everyday places and things that many people wouldn’t even notice (think an old metal silo or a painted grid in the parking lot of a big-box retailer), and I’m always excited by the challenge to translate that inspiration into my work. My work is quite minimal in nature, and I think that the most simple things are quite often the most beautiful. I also have a great respect for the art of quilt making and I love to bring a modern twist to traditional patterns.

Pinwheel Spinning Around is my modern twist on the traditional pinwheel quilt pattern. The large scale of the pinwheels in this pattern is the perfect way to showcase some of your favorite fabrics. The combination of beautiful prints with lots of negative space creates an elegant, modern design that is suitable for both beginner and advanced quilters alike. It measures 70″ x 70″, which is a great size for a lap quilt, but it also fits well on a twin size bed.

Coin Toss is a great quilt pattern for a beginner and a perfect way to show off some of your favorite prints. It’s also a fast project for an advanced quilter. Coin Toss is my modern spin on the traditional Chinese and Roman Coin quilt patterns, and it includes a lot of negative space to make those prints pop! The directions are written for baby, twin, queen, and king sizes.

Squared Strips is a reversible lap sized, or generous baby sized, quilt. The front is my spin on a traditional strip quilt and the back features an oversized log cabin block in the center, giving you two completely different looks in one. This quilt comes together quickly and is a great pattern for beginner quilters and a fast project for more experienced ones. It measures 50″ x 50″.

Ohio Supernova is my modern spin on the traditional Ohio Star pattern. In my version, the scale of the block has been dramatically increased so that it makes up the vast majority of the finished work. Using solid colored cottons and simple construction, the Ohio Supernova packs quite a visual punch and is suitable for both beginner and advanced quilters alike. It measures 72″ x 72″, again making it a generous sized lap quilt or twin sized quilt.

As I mentioned above, I used to think that quilt making was a really intimidating process. But, it doesn’t have to be, and that’s what I want to share through my patterns. I really hope you enjoy them and I’m so happy to be offering them to you here through the Oliver + S website. If you’d like to keep up with me, feel free to visit my blog at www.oliveandollie.com.